BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- A court-appointed receiver has ordered Jefferson County to halt drug tests of new employees because the tests likely violate their constitutional rights, he said.

Receiver Ronald Sims, who has responsibility over the county's Human Resources Department, said job candidates were subjected to across-the-board drug tests and medical examinations that "likely violate individuals' rights to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution."

Sims added in his memo to county officials, "Pending my further review and investigation, you are directed to take all steps necessary to stop all such tests and examinations, effective immediately."

Unlike employers in the private sector, governmental employers are limited by constitutional considerations when it comes to drug-testing of workers. The purpose of the Fourth Amendment is to uphold the privacy and security of individual persons against subjective invasions by the government and its officials.

Sims, named last fall as receiver over Jefferson County's HR Department, said in a monthly report to federal court that he had learned some people were administered electrocardiograms and hernia checks.

At least one employee, Sims said, may have been asked questions about family medical history "in potential violation of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act" -- a federal law prohibiting the use of genetic information in health insurance and employment.

The only exception to the directive would be drug and alcohol tests or other medical examinations required by the U.S. Department of Transportation regulations governing employees who hold commercial drivers' licenses, the receiver wrote in his memo.

In a related matter, the county will not object to Sims's $23.5 million request to help bring the county into compliance with a federal consent decree over its hiring practices.

Commissioner Jimmie Stephens has said he was concerned about what impact the budget request would have on the county's ailing general fund.

Attorneys for the county, in a court filing last week, said Sims and George Tablack, the county's chief financial officer, had agreed to address "the county's concerns and accounting needs."